2nd Series 02/9 - Bridging The Gap
by Macx
Summary: A crazed fan is after Ace, and it's not the first time she attempts to get her idol, no matter what...


  
**Bridging the Gap**   
by Birgit Staebler

Cosmo paced the length of the waiting room for private patients, hands clasped behind his back, eyes fixed on the floor. He was alone, for which he was thankful, even if it meant being alone with his thoughts as well.   
God damnit! It shouldn't have happened! Not again!   
Cosmo felt like tearing through the wall with one fist, but he held himself in check. He was too tired to lift a hand anyway. All his energy was focused on pacing until he couldn't even do that anymore. He fell into one of the rather comfortable chairs, fighting tears. One droplet escaped his eyes and traced a smudged path down soot stained cheeks. He hadn't even thought about cleaning up; it had all gone too fast.   
The explosion.   
The fire.   
Everything.   
Cosmo's clothes were stained with scorch marks and he knew he'd have to throw them away and get new ones. No one could fix what the fire had done. That the woman responsible for this catastrophe had been caught was of little comfort because it wouldn't undo what she had done.   
The door opened and he looked up, hoping to see a doctor, but he was only greeted by an old friend dropping by. Lieutenant Derek Vega closed the door after him and walked over to Cosmo, a question in his eyes.   
"Nothing new yet," Cosmo answered, angrily wiping at his eyes. Crying wouldn't help, even if it was a relief.   
"Marylyn Conrad is back in a cell," Vega said softly.   
"And why was she outside one in the first place?" Cosmo hissed. "She was a mental patient! God, she was an obsessee and shouldn't have seen the outside of her cell any time soon in the next decade!" His gray eyes blazed angrily.   
Vega sighed. "I asked myself the same, but it looks like her psychiatrist decided she was stable enough and had earned herself a chance to prove...."   
"To prove how she can kill Ace?!" Cosmo snarled, jumping up, hands curled into fists. "Vega, she's a known lunatic! It wasn't the first time!"   
"I know."   
"And last time she nearly...." He choked on the words and turned away, shaking.   
"I know," Vega repeated, only too aware of the last time.   
It had been four years ago, just a few months after Cosmo had come to live with Ace   
at the Magic Express. The boy had been untrusting, rebellious and a general pain in the butt. Still, Ace had decided to help the teenager, probably reminded of his own youth. Vega hadn't really understood his friend's motivations, but he had gone along, mainly because the court had decided so as well. Ace Cooper, though very young himself, would for now remain the child's guardian. His father hadn't even tried to keep his son. In court he had simply said, 'If you want the brat, take him', and left. Vega had seen the fury rise in Ace's eyes back then and had felt it himself.   
The following months hadn't been easy. Cosmo trusted no one and every little gesture was critically evaluated through a looking glass. He fought Ace every step of the way, probably expecting him to turn into just another copy of his father. Vega had read the files concerning Cosmo and he had shuddered when he had found out about the abusive parent. Cosmo's father was an alcoholic, short-tempered and never holding a job for very long. His mother had died early in his childhood and even though he had gone to school, he had always been a troublemaker. He had hooked up with a gang and his life had gone down very fast. His father had never tried to stop him.   
And then he had tried to break into the Express and to steal Angel's files. That was when Ace had caught him. Vega had warned Ace time and again not to risk having Cosmo around because the kid was a criminal, but Ace had insisted.   
And it had all turned out just fine.   
Well, more or less.   
But it had taken a near-catastrophe for the boy to finally realize what a chance he had been given and that there were no strings attached. And this near-catastrophe had been Marylyn Conrad....   


// "How may I help you, Ms....?"   
"Conrad. Marylyn Conrad," the woman answered with a smile.   
She was about Cosmo's height, had short, curly reddish hair, and was dressed in a simple combination of pants and a sweater. A bag was slung over her shoulder and she was wearing a badge that told Ace her entrance into the Ring Theater had been approved. Cosmo had shown her in and he was currently standing slightly behind her, hands shoved in his pockets, looking drawn between curiosity and disinterest. His usual state whenever he didn't manage to guard his expression. The boy was slowly coming out of his shell, but Ace knew it would take a lot more time for Cosmo to truly accept that Ace didn't want to use him.   
"As I told your young friend, I'm writing a column for the City Week Life about the top ten shows in Electro City. Yours is right on the top at number one. Our readers are interested in what makes this show so successful, what makes it tick, what happens behind the scenes." She smiled slightly. "At least how much you can tell us, Mr. Cooper."   
Ace smiled pleasantly. "I think I can arrange a little tour and show you around." He gazed at Cosmo, but the stubborn look crossing the boy's face was answer enough. As much as Cosmo wanted to hang around, he was too stubborn to give in to his curiosity. "Follow me."

The tour took half an hour before reaching the backstage area where Ace showed the reporter the storage facilities, explaining about the logistics behind the show.   
"And this is where we keep stuff we really don't use," Ace joked and gestured at a door.   
Marylyn nodded and there was a strange expression on her face as she looked around the empty backstage control room.   
"I'm sorry, but it has to be done."   
"Excuse me?" Ace began to turn.   
Marylyn Conrad's foot struck his chest with such a force that it knocked him off his feet, and he fell backwards. Caught off guard, Ace slammed into a box of props, instinctively grabbing for a hold, but the lid came off and struck his left temple. He crashed to the ground, stars exploding in front of his eyes. As he tried to raise his head, his sight whited out entirely.

*

Cosmo prowled through the empty Ring Theater, angrily glaring at the silent walls, kicking at the floor. No one was here but him and Ace, and now this Conrad woman, and he didn't know why he was still staying. A reporter. Uh-hu. Something inside of him was tingling with excitement, another part told the excited side to shut up. He didn't want to be named in the same paragraph as the great Ace Cooper in a magazine. He didn't want to hang around and just be there to listen to the questions. He didn't want to bask just a little bit in the stardom of his 'guardian'. No, he really wasn't interested.   
Yeah, right, tell me another one!   
Cosmo sighed deeply. Damn him for falling for all of this! The glamour, the show, the FX, everything. Damn him for starting to like Ace Cooper! That was the whole problem. He had fought the man every step of the way and Ace had always taken his abuse with a calm and quiet mind, never yelling back at him, never lashing out. Cosmo had sometimes let his guard down, totally unconsciously, and he hadn't been hurt.   
Damn him!   
He kicked at a pillar again.   
He was interested in Cooper's show, he liked fiddling with the equipment, and the fun part was, Ace let him. He actually encouraged him! And his new show contained elements of the program Cosmo had written. Cosmo was so proud. His program. His work. In one of the greatest magicians' shows!   
He squelched the feeling, or at least tried to, but it didn't go away.   
Cosmo sighed and slumped against the stage, sinking down with his back against it. He liked Ace, he actually wished he could really trust him, but the subconscious instinct was yelling at him not to be so careless. He lived a great life all of a sudden, had his own room at the Magic Express, had access to more than he could ever have dreamed off, he had a pet panther who seemed to adore him, and the few rules there were, he could follow.   
Then why did he continue fighting Ace?   
Answer: he had no clue.

*

Ace's vision began to brighten only gradually. The whiteness he saw first was nothing but his shirt, now stained with gray streaks. The light colors he discovered next when he raised his head was Marylyn's sweater, and then he took in the murkily lit room around him. Backstage. Still backstage. His hands were raised over his head by chains, his wrists tightly enclosed in shackles, and the chain was wrapped around the overhead light's fixture. His cape and jacket were gone.   
Marylyn was pacing back and forth, her face closed in on itself. She had a knife in one hand and her backpack was now open and empty. Whatever had been inside, it was gone. When she saw that Ace was awake she stumbled back a step, face twisting harder.   
"I'm really so sorry about this," she whispered, voice almost a monotone. "But you wouldn't answer me otherwise, you wouldn't let me come closer. I had to lie and cheat, I had to do it. You have to understand."   
"Marylyn, you're talking madness! Unlock these chains and let me out!" Ace whispered.   
"No, I can't, you see. It's the only way."   
"Marylyn...."   
Her eyes held an empty look, her face blank. Still, it frightened him. There was something to this emptiness, something dangerous.   
"You never called, you never sent back a reply. All I got were the usual tidbits. Signed cards, pictures, advertisement," Marylyn went on. "Nothing personal. I'm one of your biggest fans, Ace. I deserve more."   
A smile went over the dead lips and she stepped closer, running her hand through his hair and over his cheek. Ace tried not to flinch back.   
"I deserve more. More than those worthless, mindless puppets from the fanclubs. More than the audience. I deserve much more." Her lips were close to his ear as she whispered those words. "You."   
"Marylyn..." Ace tried again.   
"Shhhh. Don't talk. Everything will be okay. No one but me will ever have you." A glint sparked in her eyes. "I know, this seems horrible to you, but it will be for our best. You belong only to me, Ace, even you must see that."   
"You are committing a crime, Marylyn."   
She silenced him again, the smile growing. "Shhhh, my love....."   
Ace tried to reach his magic, but he was still too much out of it from the blow to his temple, the injury hurting like hell, the headache pounding behind his eyes robbing him of the necessary concentration he needed to work the powers within him. And with Marylyn this close, a knife in her hand, he was hard-pressed to really concentrate.   
"You are mad," he told the woman. "I don't belong to you."   
Marylyn twitched and slapped Ace several times with the back of her hand.   
"Shut up! Don't make this worse.... It's really for the best. I don't want to do it, but I know that the moment you step outside again, you belong to everyone. You belong only to me, Ace. This moment is our moment. For the rest of my life, I won't forget." She smiled again.   
Ace was astonished to see that the woman was near tears.   
"Unchain me. I'm sure that whatever you think... "   
"Hush now. Just be quiet. It's got to be done."   
The knife flashed at Ace, a half-hearted stab that only dented the cloth of the shirt. Marylyn's face had a dream-like expression and she slashed again, this time cutting across Ace's shoulder. He clenched his teeth as the blade bit into his skin, drawing blood. The red seeped into the white of his shirt, staining it.   
"I don't want to. I really don't. But it's for the best. No one is to have you, Ace. No one. Not that mindless mob, or that brainless singer. No one. Only me. I know I can't have you forever. If I can't, no one can....."   
She slashed again, a bit deeper this time.

*

Cosmo had finally decided to join Ace, or at least take a peek how the interview was going. Maybe the reporter was already gone. Searching through the backstage rooms he finally found the two, and his stomach transformed into a pit of dread at the scene in front of him.   
Ace Cooper was chained, arms raised over his head. The cape and jacket lay in a pool of dark clothes on the floor. Marylyn Conrad stood in front of him, wielding a knife, slashing at him with leisure, her face holding a faraway expression. Ace's white shirt was cut up in pieces, stained with blood from dozens of wounds, and there were further cuts on his arms and one on his leg.   
"No!" Cosmo screamed as the woman slashed at the magician again, and he jumped her.   
It was an instinctive reaction and he didn't really think about what he was doing. Ace raised his head, eyes blurry from bloodloss and pain.   
Marylyn turned, the knife flailing toward him. His fist brushed over her right cheek and the bridge of her nose, and she stumbled back. Marylyn clutched her head, then suddenly threw a tackle into him. Cosmo lost his balance and fell to the ground. The woman was stronger and more agile than she seemed, and she knew how to fight! She was also heavier than the fourteen-year-old.   
Marylyn kicked him, leaving a bruise down his cheek when he didn't snap his head away fast enough. Cosmo struggled up again, feeling dizzy.   
"No one will get him!" the woman screamed and lashed at him with the knife she still held clutched in one hand.   
Cosmo felt a stinging pain in his left forearm and stumbled away, crashing into the boxes behind him.   
"No one!"   
Cosmo fumbled for a weapon and his fingers suddenly touched a familiar object. It was one of Ace's props, a heavy plastic ball he used sometimes, and his hand closed around it. Cosmo flung the ball at his attacker and struck Marylyn Conrad square in the chest. She gasped, the knife dropping as she grasped at her chest, and Cosmo jumped up, kicking at her.   
She fell to one side, unconscious.   
Terrified by what he had just done, the teenager just stood there, then he remembered Ace.   
The chains fell as the small cutter Cosmo carried in a well-stocked kit of tiny tool severed them. Ace slid to the floor, shirt slick with blood, face a pale mask. Quivering, Cosmo checked him. His friend's eyes were rolling back in his head and he was way too pale for Cosmo's liking.   
"Ace?" he asked fearfully.   
He blinked, slowly, appearing so completely out of it. "Cosmo?" he whispered.   
He smiled. "I... I'll get an ambulance. And the police."   
Ace blinked again. "What about..." He licked his dry lips. "....her."   
Cosmo looked over at the unconscious woman. "Out cold." His voice shook with still resident adrenaline, fear and dread.   
Ace breathed in deeply, wincing. He tried to get to his feet and Cosmo struggled to help him. He guided the older man over to the stack of props and sat him down. Ace was barely conscious. Cosmo stood on shaky legs, stumbling over to the communications console. He had just dialed the emergency number when his eyes fell on the empty backpack next to it.   
Empty except for what looked like a control pad.   
Curious, he picked it up, turning it over. He found the latch and opened the little, flat box.   
"Shit!" he cursed as he immediately saw what it was.   
A timer.   
A control box with a timer.   
The number on it was slowly declining toward '0', and it was currently at 25.....   
They had to get out of here. Now!   
Cosmo turned, the call to the emergency service forgotten, and grabbed Ace's arm. The taller man groaned softly, confusion in his eyes.   
"We have to get out of here!" Cosmo called urgently.   
Ace stared blankly at him. He was able to walk, Cosmo dragging him more than shoving, but they really weren't fast enough.   
Something exploded and the shockwave washed over them, throwing Cosmo forward. He lost his hold on Ace and was flung away. A second explosion followed, rushing toward their position, and all he could do was curl up and scream as the heat enveloped him. Another scream could be heard as a third bomb went off, and Cosmo's blood ran cold.   
"Ace!"   
Fires broke out everywhere, licking at the curtains, the seat cushions, whatever burned. Thick smoke obscured the sight and fire alarms shrilled. Cosmo stumbled through the room, coughing, eyes burning. The sprinklers went off, trying to fight the fire, but it was no use. The bombs had been detonated with an accelerator and only a fire squad could put the flames out for good.   
"Ace!" he yelled.   
The magician had to be somewhere....   
Cosmo found Ace lying on the floor, his hands clutching his face, and moaning slightly. He stopped dead in his tracks for a moment, eyes wide.   
No. No, please, God, no!   
Flames were licking toward them from everywhere and he knew he had little time and even less to be shocked.   
"Ace!" He ran over to his friend and knelt down.   
He dropped down on Ace's other side. There were burn marks all over the magician's clothes, mixing with the blood stains, and one sleeve was deeply charred. The heat around them was rising and he knew he had to leave, but not without Ace. Cosmo gulped down his own fear and touched Ace's shoulder, trying to ignore the cut and dried blood.   
"Ace?"   
The older man was obviously in pain and his hands hid his face. Cosmo saw blood seep through the fingers, and his stomach transformed into a cold knot.   
No......   
He tried to pry the fingers loose from Ace's face and finally was able to do so. The cold knot turned into a fist of ice. Ace's eyes were screwed shut, his face a mask of pain. The right side of his face was covered with blood. A small, deep gash ran along the upper edge of his eyelid and into the brow, and the point of an impact was a rapidly swelling red mark just below. Something seemed to stick in the wound and Cosmo wanted to scream in terror at the thought of something actually embedded in Ace's eye.   
"Ace?" Cosmo begged. "Please answer me!"   
"Cosmo?" the older man rasped.   
"Yeah, it's me. We have to get out of here," he insisted.   
But he wasn't strong enough to lift the much heavier man without a little bit of help from him....   
He had to try. He couldn't just run and leave Ace to die. He owed this man too much. Cosmo hadn't really made that realization until now. Ace Cooper had not only kept him out of a juvenile home, his father also had no say in his life anymore. Not that he had had a lot, but he had still been his father -- genetically. Cosmo hated the man with a vengeance. Cooper had tried to help him, he now knew, and he had done a lot, even assuming guardianship.   
In the beginning, Cosmo had taken the older man as just some kind of rich snob who wanted to 'do good' and take in a 'street kid in need'. Good press, some headlines, and afterwards Cosmo would fend for his own again. Cooper was well-known, a rising star, and one of the best magicians out there. Cosmo had watched his shows now and then, and he had loved every minute of it. Ace Cooper was one of the best. Now Cosmo lived at the Express and he had waited for the dream to burst like a soap bubble every day. Nothing like that had happened. Ace had given him a lot of freedom, along with a great room, and Cosmo had slowly come to realize that maybe, just maybe, Cooper didn't want anything but help. It was a difficult concept to accept.   
Now this crazy woman had tried to kill him and Cosmo's fear climaxed in total panic at the thought. He tried to slip one arm under the taller man's shoulders and lift him, but the sheer weight let him stumble. He clenched his teeth, fighting the urge to scream, and tried again. This time he managed to pull Ace up slightly.   
The magician moaned again and he coughed faintly.   
"Ace! Man, wake up! Please!" Cosmo begged.   
"Cosmo?" was the weak question.   
"Still me. C'mon! We have to leave!" Cosmo pulled again, but this time Ace tried to help and they stumbled once more.   
How they finally made it outside was beyond his memories. He had no idea. Cosmo only remembered how a paramedic appeared in his field of vision, taking the burden off his shoulders, and then another carefully guided the coughing teenager to one of the ambulances.   
"Ace?" he asked weakly.   
"He's being taken care of," the woman treating him said.   
"He's going to be all right, right?" he demanded.   
There was no immediate answer. "We will do everything possible here and he'll be transported into a hospital soon. Just like you, young man."   
Cosmo batted at the helping hands. "I want to see him!" He started to cough violently.   
"Later." Someone placed an oxygen mask on his mouth.   
Cosmo weakly leaned back against the stretcher, tears gathering in his eyes. Ace had to be all right! He just had to be!

* * *

"My fault. It's my fault!"   
"Cosmo, listen.... it wasn't...."   
"It was!" the fourteen-year old cried. Tears were brimming in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. "I let her in!"   
So much was true. Marylyn had used the teenager to gain entry into the Ring Theater, posing as a news reporter.   
"All my fault," he hiccuped. "He'll be blind and I'm the one who did it."   
Lt. Derek Vega sat down next to the shaking boy. Cosmo's body was taut and trembling, his hands clenched into fists. His narrow, pale face was even paler if possible, and the gray eyes were dark and stormy. The wild mop of red hair hung into his eyes, but he didn't even try to push the heavy bangs away. The kid needed a haircut. Someone had cleaned the cut on his forearm and he was now featuring a bandage.   
"You didn't know, Cosmo," he tried.   
"I should have!"   
"How? Can you read minds?"   
He angrily shook his head. "Should have...." he insisted.   
Vega carefully touched the teen's shoulder and to his dismay felt him flinch. Then again, what had he expected? He was a cop and Cosmo didn't trust cops. That Vega was Ace's friend and had helped getting Ace accepted as Cosmo's guardian was of little importance to the kid.   
"Cosmo, Marylyn Conrad would have gained entry one way or another."   
"But she used me to hurt Ace!" Cosmo cried. "If he dies...."   
"He won't."   
Now the tears started to fall. "What if he does? I don't want to go back!"   
Vega inhaled sharply, suddenly aware what was going on in the kid's head. If Ace was either incapacitated or even died, Cosmo would be back where he had started: on the street. He would go back to a juvenile home or to foster parents or, if all the worst came true, to his father. Ace had once mentioned that he had already taken precautions against such a bad chance, but Vega had no idea.   
"You won't have to," he said softly.   
"How do you know?" Cosmo demanded, red-rimmed eyes boring into his brown ones. "I screwed up big time! Nothing can change it!" He jumped up. "And nothing will make it undone! I nearly killed him! He won't forget that and I'm back where I started!"   
"Cosmo, you 're not responsible for this...."   
That was the moment the door opened and a man in a surgical coat entered. A name tag identified him as Dr. Michaels.   
"How is he?" Vega asked immediately.   
"Mr. Cooper suffered some burns around the eyes, which aren't so bad, and we managed to remove the splinter of metal buried in his flesh. The cuts on his chest, arms and legs were the reason for some blood loss, but he's receiving IV drips. The damage to the skin is minimal. It'll heal. As for the left eye...."   
Vega saw Cosmo blanch even more.   
"Our ophthalmologist has examined him, but due to the swelling, we can't say whether or not he'll suffer permanent damage. We have to wait," Michael just said.   
Cosmo didn't wait. He pushed past the doctor and was out of the waiting room before Vega could react.   
"Cosmo, wait....!"   
But the teenager didn't wait. He ran, shoving past a nurse, and then he was gone.   
Vega sighed deeply.

* * *

Cosmo was lost and alone. He knew where he was; he knew Electro City, but he was lost inside. His mind was whirling around the recent events and it all came back to one truth: he had screwed up.   
He hadn't returned to the Magic Express after running out of the hospital. His flight had been blind, the roller-blades whirring beneath his feet, taking him wherever he wanted to go. He had thought about going over to one of his usual hang-outs, but he didn't feel like talking to his friends. And he couldn't go back to the Express. He just couldn't. His room was there, full of his own stuff -- his own! It had been a while since he had been able to call anything his own. Now he had his own room, a cool big room, with all the technical gizmos he could think of. He had his own clothes; he loved the expensive, brightly colored jacket. He had a home, a true home.   
And now he had lost it. He couldn't bear to go back and look at what life he had screwed up. The image of Ace Cooper, his face burned, in pain, was too vivid in his mind.   
He had done that.   
His stupidity.   
And it would get him his reward: his old life back.   
But Cosmo no longer wanted to be back on the streets. Yes, in the beginning he had wished for nothing but Cooper leaving him alone. He had fought every good intention of the magician, had openly challenged him, but in time, the challenges had lessened and his sharp teeth had been cut back.   
Because Cosmo had found out that Ace really wanted the best for him. He wanted to help. He wanted Cosmo to live a better life.   
Cosmo had carefully started to accept the possibility that here were no ulterior motives, that Cooper didn't want him as a publicity stunt, that he cared, and he had come out of his shell. Slowly. When the magician hadn't yelled at him for playing with Angel, his confidence had risen. He had done something good, right?   
And now....   
Cosmo choked on the lump rising in his throat.   
All destroyed.   
Ace might be blinded on one eye, might never be able to work the magic shows.... all because of him!

"You're a useless piece of lowlife scum! You are no son of mine! I wonder where your mother found the bastard who fathered you!"

The words of his father stung even now, years later. His mother had died when he had been seven and Cosmo had been devastated by her death. She had been the only one to believe in him, to encourage him, and suddenly she was dead. A brain tumor, the doctors had told them. In its early stages it might have been operable, but now..... The family hadn't had the money and his father had been unable to get a loan from a bank. Unable to hold a job, usually working a few days and spending the earned money on booze, his father had never had any regard for his family. They were a burden, but he hadn't asked for a divorce. A real man didn't divorce....   
Cosmo swallowed.   
The funeral had been hard. He didn't know about grandparents. Never had met any of them. His father had just dragged him home from the cemetery and drowned his misery in more alcohol. Cosmo had grown up on the streets, going to school now and then. He had been bored in the classes, the teachers talking about such simple stuff and thinking it was so highly complicated. No one ever bothered to test the child for his IQ, all assuming he was a low class student with no ambitions. But Cosmo had ambitions and they lay in the field of electronics. He was a genius when it came to computers and he loved hacking, writing programs, fiddling with the technology and taking stuff apart to create new things.   
And he had joined a gang.   
Stupid, but the only way out. They had terrorized the neighborhood, had broken into shops, had hacked into companies, and Cosmo had had fun. As long as he didn't have to go home, he was happy. The few times he saw his father were filled with heated arguments, verbal abuse and threats. Whatever he had accomplished was beaten into the dust by his father. He was a worthless criminal, born that way, a bastard and totally useless.   
It had hurt so much.....   
Now he had finally been given a chance. Ace Cooper had given him a chance, had taken it upon himself to vouch for the young delinquent, and he had taken to teaching him. Angel was his teacher and he liked studying, even the subjects that didn't relate to computers or technology. He would never confess it to Cooper, but he really enjoyed it. He could easily have ended up in a boarding school, but he wasn't.   
Ace Cooper cared.   
And Cosmo was trying to see the evil behind the good. Nothing so good came without something attached. Demands. Rules. Regulations. Nothing came, though. All was within reasonable limits and sometimes he wondered whether he had just entered a fairy tale, whether he might one day wake up and find the dream just that: a dream.   
Today had been the day.   
He had been woken and found the harsh reality. He had screwed up his life once more and all the confidence he had built in the past weeks had been shattered.   
Cosmo wiped tears out of his eyes.   
Ace would kick him out into the streets again, maybe drag him back to his dad, and he deserved it. He deserved it all. He had hurt the one who had trusted him.   
Trust.   
Someone had trusted him.   
Cosmo swallowed. Ace was a weird guy. Not only was he a magician whose shows were always sold out; no one knew his magic secrets and he liked to be mysterious. Add to that the freak hair color and you had a weirdo. Okay, he might be a rich guy, but he had actually trusted a street kid with his fledgling AI computer, he had given him a room and he had offered Cosmo what the teen thought was the world. He had had it all..... and he had lost it because of some stupid mistake!   
Cosmo couldn't stop the tears now. He curled up into a ball of misery, sitting against the wall of an alley, and he cried.

* * *

"He ran?"   
Vega nodded, studying the dark-haired man currently propped up against the hospital bed. Ace looked much younger than his twenty-seven years and the drab hospital gown did nothing to help this image. Angry red skin surrounded his eyes, blisters dotting his left cheek, and some of his hair looked singed. He had been damn lucky, Vega knew. One eye was covered by a bandage, that also hid the area around it, taped in place, and the other held an exhausted, tired expression. There were more bandages around his chest, invisible beneath the hospital gown, and his wrists had been lightly wrapped because of the deep scraped from the shackles.   
Marylyn Conrad had been found in the room where Cosmo had left her. She had tried to escape, but failed. Now she was in a tightly secured prison cell.   
"He thinks you blame him."   
"Nonsense!" Ace exclaimed strongly. "He didn't know and without him, I'd be dead now. Cosmo managed to get me out of the danger zone."   
Vega nodded. "I know that, you know that, but the boy is scared as hell."   
Ace closed his eye. "I need to get out of here, find him, talk to him....."   
"You'll stay put. You nearly lost your eyesight and the doctor's orders are quite strict."   
Ace glared.   
"I'll find Cosmo," the detective promised.   
"Thanks, Derek," Ace whispered, fighting exhaustion.   
"Relax, Ace. Lie back and relax."   
Vega left a few minutes later when Ace had finally given in to sleep.

* * *

Finding Cosmo had proven harder than expected. The teenager hadn't returned to the Express and he wasn't anywhere at his usual hang-outs. His friends didn't know where he was either. Ace grew more worried by the hour and finally released himself from hospital, under protest from the physician -- and Vega. But he had to find Cosmo. The longer the boy was alone with his guilt and misery, the more difficult it would be to get through to him. Since Ace was not allowed to drive in his condition, Vega did it for him. They checked out every known place Cosmo liked to be at, but came up with nothing once more.   
"He's here somewhere," Ace muttered, looking over the harborfront of Electro City, his eye gazing thoughtfully along the skyscrapers and tall buildings.   
But where?   
Suddenly an idea struck him.   
"Vega, let's check out Hammersmith Beach."   
"But there's nothing there!" the cop protested.   
"Exactly. Remember when Cosmo bailed out of the Express in the early days? He went to Hammersmith Beach. I followed him once and found him there." Ace got back into his friend's car.   
Oh, yes, back in the early days. Vega remembered. Ace had had his fun with the kid and he still marveled at the sheer patience the magician had when it came to Cosmo. The kid was intelligent, really intelligent, but he was also a rebel. That he masked his self-consciousness and insecurity with it had been something Vega had discovered almost too late. Cosmo was easily shattered, especially when steadily reprimanded and told how worthless he was, and that was what his father had done constantly. The old man had never seen anything but a crook in his son and had told him so over and over again -- until Cosmo had come to believe it.   
Ace had tried to undo what Cosmo's father had done, and lately success had been visible. Cosmo was extremely talented when it came to computer and technology. He had even created a program that allowed Angel more freedom and a wider array of functions. Angel had been nothing but a security program at first, a voice-activated computer that reacted to several commands with replies of its own, but no real artificial intelligence as such. Then Cosmo had gone to work and out had come the Angel AI of today. Ace had proudly shown it to Vega. That his friend had even let the kid close to the AI had been Vega's first criticism, but it had quickly evaporated under Ace's stern gaze. Maybe Ace projected too much of himself into Cosmo. Then again, maybe not. Under all that boisterous and rebellious shell was a sensitive child with a lot of talent.   
Hammersmith Beach was west of Electro City and had been one of the most popular spots twenty years ago. Then the Hammersmith Industrial Park had opened and the Beach had turned into nothing more than a mooring station for small boats and a place to be alone when you needed to be. Several larger beaches had turned into the main attraction and Hammersmith didn't even get cleaned anymore. Sea grass, driftwood and garbage washed up on the shore and a few old benches invited to sit down. Ace told Vega to stop at the top of the beach. He'd go alone.   
Walking down the stairs to the beach, overrun by sand, he scanned for his young friend. He found him not far away from a small, old beach house, which was by now smothered by graffiti. Cosmo sat with his back against some driftwood, legs pulled up to his chest, arms resting on his knees. His chin was propped up on his folded arms and he was staring at the Bay Lake, which glistened warmly in the midday sun. It was a terrific day.   
Ace approached carefully, as silently as possible, taking in every feature of his teenage friend. Cosmo was pale, his face narrow and drawn into a mask of anguish. His eyes were troubled. He had always been a rather thin child, his slender frame hidden beneath bulky clothes. The steep lines that had marred his face when they had first met had eased a bit, smoothing out, and Ace was glad to see the suspicion of first make way to careful interest and wary attention. The long, heavy red hair was held out of his face by a pair of glasses the boy always wore like a headband. They were quite sophisticated gear and when Ace had asked about them once, Cosmo had immediately gone into defense. He hadn't stolen them and Ace wouldn't be able to take them away! Never! Ace had retreated then, mystified. He was quite attached to the glasses and one day he might be able to ask why.   
As Cosmo became aware of the intruder, he looked up and those expressive gray eyes went wide. He scrambled to his feet, kicking up a lot of sand, stumbling away from Ace.   
"Cosmo, please!" Ace held up one hand. "Don't run....."   
Cosmo shook his head. "Come to take me back to the home personally?" he asked, voice hoarse.   
Ace blinked. Back to the home?   
"Because if you have," the teenager went on defiantly, "I'm not going. I won't go back. Ever! You can't make me!"   
"Cosmo, that never stood to debate!" Ace told him firmly, shocked that the teenager would think such a thing. "I was worried about you. Vega said you didn't go back to the Magic Express, he couldn't find you.... and I thought something had happened to you."   
"So what?" Cosmo muttered, defiance rising. "Nobody cares what happens to a street kid."   
Ace froze. "Don't say that!"   
"Why not? It's the truth!"   
"Because I care!" Ace shot back. "You are no longer a street kid and I care what happens to you! I was worried!"   
"About your reputation?" Cosmo asked venomously.   
And it stung. Deeply. Ace flinched back, feeling something inside him clench.   
"My reputation never had anything to do with this. Never. I took you in because I wanted to give you a chance, Cosmo, not because of some ulterior motives."   
Cosmo's eyes were brimming with more tears. "And I screwed up, so leave it at that!"   
"No, I won't."   
Cosmo moved back as Ace took a step forward.   
"It wasn't your fault," Ace said firmly, knowing what it all came down to.   
"I screwed up!" the teenager insisted.   
"You didn't. What happened was an accident."   
"I let her inside! I was the one who gave her access!"   
Ace took a step forward. "She used you, Cosmo, she lied to you."   
"And I believed her! I should be used to lies and nice words meaning just the opposite! My whole life consists of nothing else!" Cosmo's eyes filled with tears. "All my life everyone lied, so I should be able to tell if I get lied to again! But I couldn't! I screwed up again... My dad was right... I'm useless."   
"No! Don't say that!" Ace snapped more forcefully than he would have wanted to.   
Cosmo's eyes widened and he stared at the magician.   
"You are not useless!" Ace insisted. "You might have made a mistake, but you didn't screw up."   
"Because of me you got hurt."   
He took another step forward. "Because of you I survived. You got me out of there."   
Cosmo closed his eyes, shaking. "Should have known...." he mumbled.   
Ace closed the distance completely. "You didn't. Marylyn knew what to say and which buttons to push. She deceived me even more."   
"But....."   
"No buts. Cosmo, I'm okay, Marylyn was caught and it's over."   
"But your eye....."   
"Dr. Michaels told me he doesn't think I'll be left with permanent damage." Ace smiled slightly. "But I might need a bit more help from my assistant the next few days."   
"Assistant......" Cosmo stuttered.   
"If you accept the job," Ace added casually. "I can't pay you what a computer company might for your talents, but....."   
"You... you won't send me back? To the home? Or my father?"   
"Never," Ace said forcefully. "Never to the juvenile home or a prison, and *never* to your father. I'll never kick you out, Cosmo. What I offered you was without any strings attached."   
Cosmo's wide eyes searched his face for a lie, but there was none. "Assistant?" he echoed again.   
Ace nodded, smiling. "Assistant, partner... friend....."   
"What if....?"   
He held up a hand again, silencing the teen. "No what ifs. Whenever you need help, please never hesitate to ask. I can't ask you for your trust, Cosmo, but I'm asking you for your friendship."   
Cosmo trembled again. "I.... Thank you...."   
Ace smiled. "How about we go back to the Express? Dr. Michaels would be really annoyed if I end up in his hospital again." He stretched out one hand. "Partner?"   
Cosmo stared at the hand, then took it. He suddenly stepped forward and hugged Ace fiercely. It took the magician by surprise, but he returned the hug, holding the slender teenager close to him. He felt the tremors running through the smaller boy.   
"Thanks," Cosmo whispered again, tears in his voice. //   


Now Marylyn Conrad had struck again. She had once more tried to kill Ace and she had nearly succeeded as well.   
Someone stepped into the waiting room and Cosmo's head snapped up, looking at the 'intruder'. It was a woman, a doctor, and she met the inquiring, demanding eyes with a smile.   
"You are Cosmo?"   
He nodded. "How's Ace?"   
"He's okay. We'll keep him here overnight for observation, but except for a few scratches and burns at his throat and right cheek, as well as second degree burns on his right hand, he's fine. His eyes didn't suffer from the explosion. He's just a little bit light sensitive."   
Cosmo exhaled and nearly slumped. "Man, that's the best news I've heard today. Can I see him?"   
"Sure. I'll ask a nurse to show you to his room."

Cosmo stepped hesitantly into the private room, then sighed silently in relief when he discovered Ace sitting up and awake. The room was kept in semi-darkness because of Ace's too sensitive eyes right now.   
"Hey, man!" he greeted him.   
The older man smiled. "Hello, Cosmo."   
Cosmo winced slightly as he saw the burns and cuts at Ace's throat, as well as the bandaged hand. "They got her," he said, trying to ignore the injuries.   
"I never doubted that. I'm just grateful she lost some of her edge."   
Cosmo grimaced. Yeah, grateful. Ace was grateful Marylyn had only nearly burned the skin off his hand and cheek..... last time she had nearly blinded him. That shock still sat very deep.   
"I heard they are letting you out of here tomorrow," he now remarked.   
"And not a minute too soon." Ace sighed and stared at the ceiling.   
Cosmo chuckled. Ace hated hospitals, had spent too much time in them anyway, and he just hoped his friend wouldn't release himself out of the hospital. Now Ace looked at him and frowned.   
"You need a change of clothes... and a shower."   
Cosmo looked down at his outfit and grimaced. "Uh, yeah." He plugged at his T-shirt with two fingers. "I guess I should go to the Express and change. You want me to bring you anything?"   
Ace laughed. "I won't spend the week here."   
"Well, you never know."   
Ace glared.   
"Okay, well, I think I can hear a shower calling....." Cosmo grinned. "See ya later, bro!"   
With that he retreated, relief written all over his features that Ace was okay.   



End file.
